The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-10
RUMBACHs ADVENTURES.
His Experience on a Coffee Plantation
in South America.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.

His Experience on a Coffee Plantation
in South America.
| From the San Francisco Chronicle.
| Among the passengers who arrived by
the steamer San Jose last week from Guate-
mala was a former resident of this city,
who during the past year has had varied
and trying experience in South America.
Joseph Rumbach is a German of about
80 years of age. He is a gardener by trade,
and has worked for some of the best people
in this city. About ten months ago he
sailed from this city for Callao, in Peru,
thinking to better his fortune. Like many
others he had an idea that silver and gold
were plentiful in South America, and that
any intelligent foreigner could make money
faster than in this country.
A few days in Callao and Lima, however,
soon disabused his mind of this idea, and he
was glad to accept place as gardner on the
hacienda of Mr.. Orbegosa, seven days ride
on muleback into the interior of the coun-
try ovor the Cordillera mountains. Accord
ing to his letter of Instructions, which he
! has with him, he was to receive $50 month
in silver, a house in the yard of the hacien-
da house, bed and bedding and his meals.
| His duties were to look after and improve
the flower and vegetable gardens attached
to the house.
Whom he arrived at the hacienda he found
that it was a barren coffee plantation, and
that he was expected to work with the In
dian laborers in the coffee fields. His house
consisted of an adobe hut of one room, with
no windows, and nothing but a cot mattress
and pair of blankets in the way of furni-
ture. He stuck to his work for about four
weeks, hoping his position might be i'm
proved, but, finding no likelihood of
change, resolved to throw up the situation
and try to better himself He went to the
| and fold
he wished to leave. To his surprise, he
found that he would not be allowed to do so,
| but that he must remain and work, whether
he liked it or not
This was on Wednesday. The next Mon
day he packed his clothing in a bag slung
it across his shoulders and started to retrace
on foot the weary journey across the noun
| tains to the coast. On the evening of the
second day, while sitting in the house of an
| Indian in the village, there came a knock
at the door. 1t was thrown open and in
rushed the administrator of the hacienda,
with seven men, all armed with rifles, at his
| back. Rumbath was seized and taken to
the Jail, where he spent the next twenty
four hours. The Jail was a close, hot place,
| without windows or any other means of
ventilation. On the following day he was
taken back to the hacienda and forced to so
to work again. He was told that he could
not get away, and was urged TO marry an
lltlidu SlT1 anu SelUl9 uOWu COllUellUeuly 10
work.
About three weeks after his return he
again told the administrator that he wished
to leave, and was again refused. That night
q Spaniard, who was also a laborer ON the
plantation, came to him and warned him
that If he did not comply with the wishes
of the administrator he would be put in
chains and worked like the Indians Rum
bach states that the administrator and his
chief assistants were absolute masters of
all the men on the plantation. They tried
| them for any infraCtions of the rules, and
sentenced them to the chain-gang under a
boss, who drove them at their work with a
whip, which he did not scruple to use ON
the slightest provocation For more serious
offenses both Imprisonment and whipping
were the punishment.
Not relishing the outlook, Rumback re-
solved to make another attempt to escape
from slavery At 2 O'Clock the next morn
ing he climbed over the wall of the portico,
and again started on a tramp to the coast
For six days and nights he tramped over
the mountains, carefully avoiding the only
beaten road. for he was warned by some
friendly Indians the first day of his journey
that he was being pursued He lived on
such fruits and berries as he could pick, and
upon the occasional gifts of the Indians
who guided and assisted him in his flight.
On the seventh day he reached the coast
| anu Iilaue HIS way W Calidoi anu lIon Unere
to Lima.
He went to the German Minister and told
his story. The Minister told him he could
do nothing for him, and advised him to go
back to work This Rumbach declined to
do, but sought work in Lima. He finally
secured n place under the municipal govern
ment in the public gardens at 81 a day, out
of which he had to pay for rooms and meals
In two months he had managed TO save
enough to pay for passage by steamer to
Panama where he worked for six weeks
and then sailed for Honduras. Another
short stay here with labor on coffee plan
tation, gave him the funds TO pay his fare
to San Jose do Guatemala, where he secured
| work in the gardens of the late President
BarrioS, and, after that job was completed,
on coffee plantation owned by Swiss
gentleman In three months he had enough
to bring him back to San Francisco, where
he arrived few days ago, heartily sick of
Spanish countries and glad to get back to a
land where foreigner has some rights
which the natives respect.
Peru, he says, is about the worst place i'm
the world for Foreigners He met there
many Americans Germans, French and
English, who were striving to get away
Many of them were actually in a state of
starvation. Since the war with Chilli money
has been scarce. All the work not done by
the Indians is in the hands of the Chinese
anu iiaiAt's, WIZ Se'ii Ai'o vi wages "hich
would simply mean slow starvation to any
one else.
Rumbach says that there are actually
more Chinese iii Lima than native Peruvi-
ans. Nearly all the business is done by
them, and many Of them are married to
white girls. The Chinese keep the stores
and charge exorbitant prices for every
thing, as the paper currency of the country Is
worth only 16c. on the dollar, ard prices are
made in accordance with the value of the cir
culating medium, only in an inverse ratio.
His advice to any man who has work Of any
kind in America is not to go to Peru with
the idea that he can better his position by
doing so. In other Central and South
American States the condition of things is
not SO bad, but no one without capital has
fair chance to make a living
The Literary School Marin.